Apparatus for curving printing elements



H. w. FAEBER ETAL APPARATUS FOR CURVING PRINTING ELEMENTS Filed Kay 17, 1956 4 Shets-Sheet l FIGZA FIG l Aug. 31, 1954 H. w. FAEBER ETAL APPARATUS FOR CURVING PRINTING RDIENTS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed lay 17, 1950 Ill/4a A\\\\\\\\\Q\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\SQ\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\A Aug. 31, 1954 H. W. FAEBER EI'AL APPARATUS FOR CURVING PRINTING ELEMENTS 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 17, 1950 H-VVENTOR HARRY w. FAEBE GEORGE N. SAND ATT RNEYS Aug. 31, 1954 H. w, FAEBER nu.

APPARATUS FOR CURVING PRINTING ELEMENTS Filed llay 17, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 UNITED STATE APPARATUS s PATENT OFFICE ma cUnvmG PRINTING ELEMENTS Barry W. F'aeber, Ihrchmont, and George N. Sandor, Mamaroneek, N. Y., sssignors to Time Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York ApplicationMay l'i, 1950, Serial No. 182,526

The present invention relates to mechanisms for curving printing plates, such as lectro-typea;

which are to be used upon the printing cylinders of printing presses.

Heretofore printing plates of the above character have been manufactured by conventional photo-mechanical and etching processes, following which electro-types are made, the end product of which is a printing plate that is curved to conform to the curved surface of the printing cylinder. The plate is used by being secured to the printing cylinder by means of lugs or clamps that engage the edges of the plate under pressure and clamp the plate to the outer surfaceof the printing cylinder. Being molded of lead,

rigures1and2;

iii;

Figure 4 is a view in section. taken on the line H of Figure 3, and looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 5 is an exploded view of the register pin and cartridge shown in Figures 3 and 4; and

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic view showing the electrical circuits by means of which the temperature of the saddle is controlled.

With reference to the above drawings, the curving machine is shown as being formed with a base housing Ill having a front access door ii and at its side suitable control boxes I! for housing the mechanism to be referred to hereinafter.

, The top of the housing ill is provided with a table 13 upon which a curving saddle I4 is secured as, for example. by means of bolts it. The curving saddle is provided, on its interior, with electrical heating elements It and H which may take the form of high resistance heating elements known generally as Calrod heaters. The manner in which these heating elements are energized will be described presently.

At the rear of the table II a vertical standard is is secured, the standard being formed with a tion, it is desirabletoform the shell flat, and then forwardly projecting portion is upon which a finally curve it to substantially the curvature of curving head. indicated generally at II, is mountthe curved cylinder. It is an object of the presed,

ent invention to provide means by which thisj The curving head is mounted upon a piston rod curving Operation y be c plished. 2| which is slidabie within an air-cylinder 22, side A further object or the invention is to prov de guide rods 23 being provided to assist in guidingv a mechanism of the above character wherein the th rti al em t; of the curvin head. desired curving operation ve referred to is The curving head is formed of a plate 24 upon accomplished surely and effectively and while hi h a, plurality of pairs 1 bracket; are secur d, maintaining the areasof the printing surface in th bra k t; terminating upwardly in hin e 23 a desired condition of registration so that when from h h downwardly xt ndi eid lat 21 the laminated plateiscompleted, it willbeformed depend, A hemung plate or blanket 1 to register precisely with the desired areas of the d t th botto edges f the side plates 21 printing cylinder. and is normally maintained under tension by Further objects and advantages of the invenmeans of plurality of eprmge a t t pm t. tion will be apparent as it is described in detail dl v p n plunger; 3. that are carried within in connection with the accomp y win spring guide sleeves II secured to and between w e e v I the pairs of brackets 25. In this fashion the coil Figure lis a perspective viewfrom thefront m; a min; the plunger; 3. outwardly, and side, showing a curving machine constructed bear against the side plates 31 and likewise force in accordance with the Present invention: them outwardly in order to maintain the blanket Figure 1a is a perspective view showing a printor plate a under tension as illustrated m Figure in! Plate the flat position; 3. Outward movement of the side plates 21 is 3 a Partial View limited by means of bolts :2 which are welded showing the curving head moved into thecurving or otherwse Wed to the one end or the side position; a a v a Figure 2a is a perspective view showing a printi fi f g s ing plate or shell that has been curved by the ope e e ex n o m 0 emtion illustrated in Figure 2: v the bolts ,2 may be adjusted by MC! of nuts Figure 3 is an end view partly in section, show- 88 illustrated in Figure ing certain details of the mechanism shown in Up and down movement of the curving head II is controlled by air under pressure obtained through a supply pipe 36 which is connected to an air control valve. 36 through an air filter 31 and related piping 38. From the air control valve 36 piping 36 draws the air into the cylinder 22 beneath the piston (not shown) therein that is carried at the upper end of piston rod 2 I. Air from the upper end of the cylinder 22 is discharged through an adjustable air speed control valve 40, which may be of conventional form, and piping 4i to the control valve 36 and an exhaust mufller 42. A suitable handle 43 provides means for manually controlling the flow of air to and from the cylinder 22 in order that air under pressure may be fed through either of the pipes 39 or H and exhausted from the cylinder through either of such pipes, in accordance with the desired operation of raising or lowering the saddle with a tool, such as a screw driver, which will engage the slot or slots 52. The cartridges 49 are interiorly threaded at 53 to receive a plug 54 having holes 55 formed therein to receive a suitable wrench. The plugs 54 are formed with a central hollow portion 55 within which the register pins 41 or 46 are received, an enlarged portiorr'56 being formed in order to receive the heads of the pins. With the plate secured over the register pins, as illustrated in Figure 3, the control valve 43 is actuated to cause the curving head to be lowered and the curving blanket or plate 28 wrapped around the electrotype shell so that it is curved simultaneously in opposite directions around the curving saddle I 4. In.the meantime, the heating elements I6 and I1 are energized to maintain the saddle at the desired temperature in the manner now to be described.

Referring to Figure 6, the heater elements l6 and H are connected across a line 51 and, through a switch 66, to line 59. Line 59 is connected to the supply line 60 by means of a disconnect switch 6| and fuses 62.

A signal light 63 is connected across line 51 to indicate that the heating elements are connected to the source of current, and a thermostat 64 is maintainedwithin the curving saddle M in order to control a switch 65 that is connected across the line 59 by means of circuit 66, being in series with a solenoid mechanism 61 that is designed to open the switch 66 when the switch 65 is closed by the thermostat. Thus, when the switch 6| is closed, the heating begins, at which time the heaters l6 and H are connected to the supply line 60, and heat is applied at the curving saddle [4. When the temperature of the saddle has been increased to a desired amount, switch 65 is closed by the thermostat, and the solenoid operated switch 58 is opened.

While the invention has been described with specific reference to the accompanying drawings, it is not to be limited save as defined in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. Apparatus for bending printing plates comprising a table, a saddle having an upper semicylindrical surface on and extending lengthwise of said table, register pins extending upwardly from said saddle adjacent its opposite ends at about the mid-portion of said saddle to position a printing plate in predetermined relation to said saddle, a standard adjacent to one side of said table and extending upwardly therefrom, a cylinder on said standard above said saddle, a piston reciprocable in said cylinder and having a piston rod extending downwardly therefrom, a supporting plate fixed to the lower end of said piston .rod and extending lengthwise of said table.

brackets extending upwardly from opposite edges of said plate, side plates hingedly connected to said brackets and extending lengthwise of said table and downwardly from said brackets on opposite sides of said supporting plate, said side plates having free lower edges disposed below said supporting plate, a flexible blanket substantiallycoextensive in area with the area of the semi-cylindrical surface of said saddle. means connecting opposite edges of said blanket to said lower edges of said side plates to overlie said saddle, spring means interposed between said side plates and urging them apart to maintain said blanket in a tensioned condition, and means to supply fluid under pressure to said cylinder to project and retract said piston rod.

2. Apparatus for bending printing plates comprising a support, a saddle having an upper semicylindrical surface on said support, register pins extending upwardly from said saddle adjacent its opposite ends at about the midportion of said saddle to position a printing plate in a predetertherefrom, a supporting plate, means on said standard connected with said supporting plate for moving it toward and away from said saddle, brackets extending upwardly from opposite edges of said plate, side plates hingedly connected to said brackets and extending downwardly therefrom on opposite sides of said supporting plate, said side plates having their lower edges disposed below said supporting plate, a flexible blanket substantially coextensive in area with the area of the semicylindrical surface of said saddle and having its opposite edges connected to said lower edges of said side plates to hold said blanket in position overlying said saddle, and spring means interposed between said side plates and urging them apart to maintain said blanket under tension.

3. Apparatus for bending printing plates comprising a table, a saddle having an upper semicylindrical surface on and extending lengthwise of said table, register pins extending upwardly from said saddle adjacent its opposite ends, said register pins being positioned at about the midportion of said saddle to position a printing plate in fixed relation to said saddle, a standard adjacent to one side of said table and extending upwardly therefrom, a supporting plate, means on said standard connected with said plate for moving it toward and awayfrom said saddle and positioning said plate lengthwise of said table, brackets extending upwardly from opposite edges of said plate, side plates hingedly connected to said brackets and extending lengthwi se of said table and downwardly from said brackets on op-' posite sides of said supporting plate, said side plates having their lower edges disposed below said supporting plate, a flexible blanket substantially coextensive in area with the area of the semicylindrical surface ofsaid saddle and having its opposite edges connected to said lower edges of said side plates to overlie said saddle and 5 spring means interposed between said side plates Number and urging them apart to maintain said blanket 1,461,471 in a tensioneq condition. 1,485,313 1,487,839 References Cited in the file of this patent 5 2,279,965 UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,418,100 Number Name Date 50,602 Kriebel Oct. 24, 1865 Number 118,736 Marshall Sept. 5, 1871 10 527,795 166,918

De Forest Aug. 24, 1875 Name Date Bancroft July 10, 1923 Taylor Feb. 26, 1924 Claybourn Mar. 25, 1924 Berliner Apr. 14, 1942 Stewart Mar. 25, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date France Apr. 2, 1921 

